Unit 1 Concepts

Question 1

Starting from the individual to the biosphere, how are the ecological units organized?

Answer 1

They are organized by population: Individual, Population, Community, Ecosystem, Biome, Biosphere.

Question 2

What are the abiotic and biotic parts of the ecosystem? Give examples.

Answer 2

Biotic or Living: Organic Matter, Living Things, Oysters, Blue Crabs, Jellyfish

Abiotic or Nonliving: Climate, Sunlight, Temperature, Humidity, Soil

Question 3

What are Decomposers? Examples?

Answer 3

Decomposers break down dead or decaying plants. Examples are worms, mushrooms, bacteria.

Question 4

What is the role of a decomposer in the Ecosystem? Why are they important?

Answer 4

They break apart dead organisms into simpler inorganic materials, making nutrients available to primary producers.

They return nutrients to the ecosystem

Question 4

What is the role of a decomposer in the Ecosystem? Why are they important?

Answer 4

They break apart dead organisms into simpler inorganic materials, making nutrients available to primary producers.

Matter is found in a limited amount on earth and has to be returned to the ecosystem in a usable form whenever an organism dies. Decomposers fill this role. They break down the body of the dead organism and return the matter in it to the ecosystem via several processes and stages.

Question 5

In the food chain identify producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, and tertiary consumer.

Answer 5

Producer: Plant
Primary Consumer: Mouse
Secondary Consumer: Snake
Tertiary Consumer: Hawk

Question 5

What is the primary source of all energy for the ecosystem?

Answer 5

Sunlight

Question 6

What do the arrows respresent?

Answer 6

Energy Transfer - where the energy is going

Question 7

What is the Ten Percent Rule?

Answer 7

At every level 10% of the energy is removed.

Question 8

What is the food web?

Answer 8

the flow of energy in an ecosystem

Question 9

What are 3 types of ecological pyramids?

Answer 9

Biomass, Energy and Tertiary or Numbers Pyramids

Question 9

Biomass Pyramid - What Information is Shown?

Answer 9

amount of living organic matter at each trophic level

Advantage: Size is considered
Disadvantage: Have to kill and dry

Question 10

Energy Pyramid - What Information is Shown?

Answer 10

the relative amount of energy available at each trophic level

If only 10% of energy is passed to the next feeding level, where does the 90% go?? lost in the form of heat and unusable energy!

Question 11

Tertiary Pyramid or Numbers Pyramid - What Information is Shown?

Answer 11

the relative number of individual organisms at each trophic level

Advantage: Easy to count
Disadvantage: Doesn’t take into account size

Question 12

What does each level represent?

Answer 12

Trophic Level

Question 13

What changes as you go from one level to the level above it?

Answer 13

10% of energy is lost in the form of heat

Question 14

What is the role of biogeochemical cycles in the ecosystems? Why is it important?

Answer 14

Cycle chemicals between organisms and the Earth … it moves essential elements to sustain life

Question 15

Carbon Cycle - What is the process that ADDS carbon to the atmosphere?

Answer 15

Respiration

Question 16

Carbon Cycle - What is the process that REMOVES carbon to the atmosphere?

Answer 16

Photosynthesis

Question 17

Competition: Define and Give Example

Answer 17

Hyena wants lions kill

Question 18

Symbiosis: Define and Give Example

Answer 18

a long-term relationship with significant physical or chemical interactions … for example .. bees and flowers

Question 19

Mutualism: Define and Give Example

Answer 19

Both species benefit (+/+) … Bees and Flowers

Question 20

Parasitism: Define and Give Example

Answer 20

One organism benefits at the other’s expense (+/-) … Dog and Flea

Question 21

Commensalism: Define and Give Example

Answer 21

One organism benefits and the other is unaffected (+/0) … water buffalo and bird

Question 22

Predation: Define and Give Example

Answer 22

One organism consumes another .. used for population control ... rivers in Yellowstone, reintroducing wolves

Question 23

Niche

Answer 23

the role that a species plays in its environment

Question 24

Why is there niche partitioning?

Answer 24

allows for animals to coexist rather than competition between species

Question 25

What is niche partitioning?

Answer 25

cooperative behavior between populations that contributes to their survival.

Question 26

Competition Exclusion Principle

Answer 26

The competitive exclusion principle says that two species can't coexist if they occupy exactly the same niche (competing for identical resources)

Question 27

What is Carrying Capacity

Answer 27

the number of organisms of one species that an environment can support indefinitely

Question 28

What happens to populations as it approaches carrying capacity.

Answer 28

Population slows down to growing rate to stay consistent

Question 29

Carrying Capacity Graph

Answer 29

See attached

Question 30

Density Dependent

Answer 30

The greater the population, the greater effect these factors have. ... COVID ... disease, competition, predators

Question 31

density-independent factors

Answer 31

Abiotic / Non-Living Factors ... volcanic erruptions, earthquake, tornado,

Question 32

Ecological Succession: Define

Answer 32

predictable changes that occurs in a community over time

Question 33

What is a pioneer species?

Answer 33

the first species to populate this area (ex: lichens SLOWLY break down rock to make soil)

Question 34

Primary Succession

Answer 34

occurs on land where no soil exists (ex: volcanic eruptions)

Question 35

Secondary Succession

Answer 35

occurs in areas where there has been previous growth (ex: fires, abandoned fields); soil is present, MUCH faster than primary succession

Question 36

Example of a Pioneer Species ... and how it relates to succession

Answer 36

Fungi .. primary ... breaks down minerals to form soil for future species

Question 37

Population Growth - When there an increase in population size?

Answer 37

When there are resources ... water, food, energy

Question 38

Population Growth - What factors cause a decrease in population size?

Answer 38

Limited resources ... water, food, energy

Question 39

Each level in an ecological pyramid represents:

Answer 39

Trophic Level

Question 40

In the nitrogen cycle the process carried out by bacteria that live on plant roots is called ...

Answer 40

Nitrogen Fixation

Question 41

Nitrogen Cycle - What is the process that returns nitrogen to the atmosphere?

Answer 41

Denitrification

Question 42

Carbon Cycle - what is the process to add carbon to the atmostpher?

Answer 42

Respiration

Question 43

What is the role of decomposition?

Answer 43

Recycles matter into the bioegochemical cycles

Question 44

What is the process to remove carbon from the atmosphere

Answer 44

Photosynthesis

Question 45

Explain this statement: Energy flows one way but matter is recycled.

Answer 45

Energy is not usable for work once it is converted and used with the cycle. BUT matter must be recycled in order to the cycle to continue in the ecosystem.